Review: Espolon Tequila Extra Anejo
For years, Espolon has been the tequila you reach for when you want something to use to make a huge batch of margaritas: Good enough, not expensive, 100% agave, something you can hold your head high that shelled out for an ever-so-slightly premium spirit for cocktails by the pool. Lately, Espolon has been pushing the…
Review: Copper and Cask X Bourbon 10 Years Old and Batch 17 Cigar Blend Bourbon
Great whiskey depends on more than grain, water, time, and wood. Just as important is the judgment and expertise of the person who brings those elements together. It is an often-overlooked part of whiskey-making, yet it can be the difference between a collection of good barrels and a finished whiskey that stands apart. Copper &…
Review: Wines of Famiglia Casadei, 2026 Releases
Judging strictly by the documentation furnished on its website, and there’s a good deal of it, Famiglia Casadei’s commitment to authentic wines and ethical products is legitimate and uncompromising. No one has to take this on faith: the timeline and receipts are right there. The family photo at the top of the Famiglia’s website puts…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Milkshake Batch” 2026-02 and “Southern Thunder Batch” 2026-03
We’re behind on new Booker’s releases, so we’re ganging up the latest pair of releases in this head-to-head look at two offerings, both landing at about the 7 1/2 year-old mark. Details on each (and an explanation of their names) follow alongside our reviews. Booker’s Bourbon “Milkshake Batch” 2026-02 Review Perhaps an obvious one: Booker…
Review: Wines of Larkmead, Autumn 2026 Releases
Larkmead sits on an unassuming stretch of Calistoga, at the end of a lane sharing its name, and has spent over a century being one of the more interesting places in Napa Valley without ever making a grand spectacle of it. This is unusual, and it’s a little suspicious: the region is thick with estates…
Review: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Private Cask Collection Tequila Edition No. 2 Mole Cask (2026)
In 2023, Jose Cuervo released a special edition of its Reserva de la Familia Tequila called the Private Cask Collection. Edition No. 1 incorporated tequila aged in Colombian oak casks, a real rarity that, frankly, I’ve never heard done before. Three years later, Cuervo is finally back to this collection, finishing anejo tequila in mole…
Review: 2023 John Anthony Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
You may know John Anthony only from his low-cost brand, JaM Cellars — but Anthony also makes luxe, cellar-worthy wines that deserve more serious attention. Case in point: This newly released Napa cabernet. Almost archetypical in its construction, this 2023 cab bursts out of the gate with dense notes of currants and black cherries, tempered…
Review: Jefferson’s Reserve 8 Years Old
Big-ish things are happening over at Jefferson’s. The entire lineup has gotten a glow-up with bolder packaging featuring larger typeface. I never minded squinting to read my Jefferson’s labels, but I guess we bourbon drinkers are all getting older by the day. There’s also been some streamlining of offerings, with both the flagship rye and…
Review: MaraBela Sparkling Tea Wild Verbena
Packaged in a 750ml wine bottle with a Champagne style cork, you could be forgiven for assuming MaraBela was a new sparkling wine, albeit perhaps with a new age bent. It’s not, though, it’s tea: sparkling tea, specifically, designed as a non-alcoholic alternative to a traditional bottle of bubbly. Per the brand: MaraBela wasn’t created…
Review: Bulleit ’87
Blending bourbon and rye used to be a wild novelty, but now it’s surprisingly commonplace, perhaps due to the runaway success of High West’s Bourye, which has become an annually released, prized commodity among those in the know. The latest to jump into the blending game is Bulleit, whose new Bulleit ’87 is in some…
